


Precious and Protected

by Kalira



Category: Naruto
Genre: (Ish) - Freeform, (attempted), Blood and Injury, Confessions, F/M, Healing, Iryou Jutsu, NejiHina Week 2019, Pre-Relationship, Protectiveness, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:56:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21581716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: It took Neji a long time to grow up enough to recognise that which is most precious to him; now that he has, he would do anything to protect it.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Hyuuga Neji
Comments: 12
Kudos: 72
Collections: Kalira's NejiHina Week Stories (2019)





	Precious and Protected

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 7 of [NejiHina Week](https://nejihinata.tumblr.com/post/189003270002): Wounds
> 
> This was the first thing I wrote for this Event, almost a month ago, and now I am wrapping up another NejiHina Week with it as my final piece!

“Down here!” Hinata ordered briskly, and settled to the ground beside the stretcher Neji had been borne back to camp upon, never letting her hand fall away from the deepest wound in his side. The one, he suspected, that may have punctured one of his lungs. “Go back, see who else you can help. I can handle this here.”

“So . . . sure. Strong.” Neji wheezed as the two chuunin obeyed. Oh, that was definitely a punctured lung. He could feel the blood bubbling beneath Hinata’s palm.

“Don’t strain yourself!” Hinata said immediately, though her moon-bright eyes were glossy and damp and her fingers shook slightly as she reached for Neji’s throat. They steadied quickly, and a green glow sprung up around both of her hands. “I can heal you - at least, enough - but don’t make it _worse_. . .”

Hinata’s voice faded into a slightly unsteady, trailing note.

Neji could feel the iryou jutsu beginning to do its work under Hinata’s hands, and some of the pressure in his chest - internal bleeding, he thought wryly - easing off. He could also see Hinata. . .

“Oh. . . Oh, please,” Neji said, voice rough, “please don’t cry. . .”

Hinata bowed her head a little more, but her short hair hardly concealed her face from him at this angle. She sniffled silently, a tiny quiver running through her.

Neji reached up, a little shaky, and brushed his palm over her forearm. “I’ll be all right. You said so yourself, yes?” he questioned, gasping thinly for breath a few times as he spoke.

Hinata met his gaze and nodded shallowly.

“Then what’s so bad?” Neji smiled slightly. “You can’t possibly be upset by how much a mess I am, though I do-”

“I don’t ever want to see you hurt.” Hinata said, almost a snap, and Neji was startled silent, swallowing and looking up at her. She ran her fingers over his battered knuckles, and he realised looking at the contrast between their hands that he was far paler than he should be. “I _hate_ seeing you hurt. Knowing you’ll get better. . .”

“I’m sorry.” Neji said reflexively, and Hinata’s face crumpled a little further. “Fuck. Hinata-”

“It’s _worse_.” Hinata said thickly, hiding her face, and Neji was silent for a minute, lost. “I- You got hurt because of _me_.” she said, nearly a sob.

Neji’s heart wrenched and his stomach knotted at once. Neither combined well with the throbbing aches of his many wounds, and he winced even before he reached up to draw Hinata’s hands away from her face. There was a smear of Neji’s blood beside one wide, wet eye.

“It is not your fault.” Neji said softly. “I could have,” he paused, faltering, and Hinata’s mournful eyes almost made him cringe, “I did not _have_ to interpose myself.”

“You didn’t!” Hinata cried, her voice a little louder this time. “You didn’t have to but you _did_, just like-” She _did_ sob this time, and it hurt worse than the raw wounds Neji bore. “I don’t c- _care_ what they say, you are no less important than me - you’re _more_, for Konoha, you shouldn’t-”

“Hush. Don’t say that.” Neji said weakly, squeezing Hinata’s wrist. “You are no less than I, either.”

Hinata sniffled, her eyes welling with tears. “Yet you- You could have _died_ stepping in for my sake as you did! Just as they have always- always said you _should_.”

“That is not why I chose to do so.” Neji said, breath hitching, and cringed as the twitch jarred his ribs and strained the perhaps not completely mended hole in his right lung.

“I treasure that you have forgiven me, that we have become- become _closer_, but you must never listen to them, and it is _not_ your- your _duty_,” Hinata spat the word as though it tasted of poison, “to- to _die for me_.”

“When,” Neji said slightly unsteadily, with a breathless and pained laugh, “have I _ever_ listened to the doctrines of souke idiots?”

“Then _why_?” Hinata cried, and Neji closed his eyes, sighing. “Neji!”

“Because,” Neji said quietly, “to _me_ . . . you are more important.” He opened his eyes again, squeezing Hinata’s wrist as hard as he could to keep her from interrupting before he could continue. “Not the heir. Not a souke member. _You_, Hinata.”

“. . .why would you count _me_ as so important?” Hinata shook her head, stroking Neji’s fingers lightly, though she didn’t try to release herself from his grip. “Why should I be so much more to you?”

Neji tensed, though his aching body regretted it, hearing the faint traces of _why would I be important to anyone_ in Hinata’s voice, and remembering years of Hinata making herself lesser and lesser, quiet and ever retreating.

“Because you _are_.” Neji snapped, and coughed breathlessly at the sharp response from his body at his carelessness.

Hinata splayed one green-glowing hand over his chest and the tightness and pain eased a little once again. Neji drew a careful breath, not quite deep but as deep as he _could_.

“Because you are yourself, and I . . . care about you.” Neji said quietly. “Because to me, I cannot . . . think of allowing anything to happen to you, not if there was the smallest chance I could avert it.”

“Even by sacrificing yourself?” Hinata asked, tears finally spilling down her face. She clasped Neji’s hand tightly between her own. “No, Neji, you- You mustn’t.”

Neji squeezed her hand, a thought occurring to him. “Would you take a choice from me as well?” he said, the harsh words quiet. Hinata froze. “You wouldn’t force me to die for you, I think you would,” his voice faltered, “I think you would die yourself before you let that happen, had you the choice. But would you deny me the choice of what is precious to me?”

Hinata stared at him, then twitched and shook her head hard, evidently speechless.

Neji felt his cheeks warm, and honestly, he had lost enough blood, surely there shouldn’t be enough to flood his face. “I. . . My sensei espouses,” and he couldn’t believe he was falling back to this, but . . . Gai-sensei’s devotion to the concept rang true to Neji, “that the most important choice you have is what is precious enough to you that you would die to keep them . . . it . . . safe.”

Hinata’s breath caught, along with a small whimpering sound. Neji twisted their hands to link their fingers, and stroked over her knuckles with his thumb. “_You_ are most precious to me. I do not _wish_ to die for you, but I made the _choice_ that you are so precious I would die to keep you safe, if that is what it takes.”

“Neji-! I-” Hinata’s voice faltered, and she crumpled, pressing herself close to his side, making him startle. “Please don’t. The wound it would leave in my heart if you- _Please._”

Neji shifted a little, careful and slow, then . . . got a hand up to Hinata’s back, just below one shoulder blade. “I . . . will do my best. I promise.”

“Good.” Hinata said, taking a hitching breath as she rubbed her cheek against his bloody shoulder. “I. . . You are most precious to me, too, Neji.” she said softly, barely a breath against his collarbone. Neji’s eyes widened.

Hinata remained where she was, twisted sideways and bent down to lie snug against his side, for some minutes. Then she drew away, wiping tears from her face and taking a slow, deep breath that steadied as her lungs filled.

Hinata reached out her hands, green chakra blooming around them once more, and returned to work on Neji’s injuries.

Neji remained as still as he could, cooperating with the jutsu until Hinata finally released it and he was weak and sore but . . . steadier.

“Thank you.” Neji said, eyelids drooping. He reached for Hinata’s hand, a little clumsy, and she offered it quickly. Neji drew it to his lips and kissed it lightly even as he felt the yawning chasm of healing sleep dragging him down.

“Thank you, Neji.” Hinata said, her soft voice close, and Neji felt a feathery brush on his brow; first breath, then lips. He shivered. “Sleep. I will be here.”

Neji slept, daring to trust that when he woke both body and heart would be whole.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/Kalira) or [Dreamwidth](https://kalira.dreamwidth.org)!


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